No Peterson, no problem

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Good morning! College basketball sure delivered a big night for fans watching now that football’s over.

Let’s get to it.

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1. Kansas stuns No. 1 Arizona, pulls off rare double feat

Who needs Darryn Peterson when you have Flory Bidunga? (And Allen Fieldhouse.)

No. 9 Kansas didn’t have its star freshman with top-ranked Arizona in Lawrence, and wasn’t very good (Bill Self’s characterization) but its defense did enough to make Arizona play worse for an 82-78 win.

It not only snapped Arizona’s 23-game win streak, but left Miami (Ohio) as the sport’s lone unbeaten team. The odds of that before the season began? About as good as beating Kansas on Big Monday in Allen Fieldhouse. Combined with a win over previously unbeaten Iowa State in January, Kansas became the only D-I team in 40 years to beat two 15-0 or better teams in the same season.

Part of Kansas’ edge was the crowd’s energy (it was LOUD nearly the entire game) and some home calls (this Bindunga non-call was rough), but mostly? Kansas just played more physical and tougher down the stretch.

The Jayhawks (19-5, 9-2 in Big 12) decided about an hour before tip that Peterson wasn’t going to play due to flu-like symptoms. (There’s a separate online discourse about that, and at least one NBA GM didn’t sound worried about him missing his 11th game of the season with a combination of hamstring, calf and ankle injuries.) And Kansas, as you’d expect, wasn’t sharp to start. It was more of a slow build.

It trailed 6-0 after a couple turnovers, only to tie it three times before halftime. The Jayhawks were behind by as many as 11 points in the second half, then finally led 73-67 with 4:40 remaining. From there, it was a series of made free throws (they went nearly 4 minutes without a made field goal) and defensive stops that delivered one of the season’s most memorable wins. Just watch Bidunga defend Brayden Burries in the final seconds.

Bidunga finished with 23 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks — only three players the last 35 years have posted a line like that vs. the No. 1 team — on a night where he delivered emphatic dunks against a massive Arizona frontcourt.

Melvin Council also finished with 23 points, but he needed 25 (!) shots to do it. He did most of his scoring on fast breaks and at the free-throw line (10-of-11), while freshman Bryson Tiller was a beast in the first half (14 points) and finished with 18 points and 8 rebounds.

“We kept grinding, and the crowd was unbelievable,” Self said. “The crowd wouldn’t let us get tired.”

It’s tough to say Arizona (23-1, 10-1) played poorly, especially since it controlled most of the game in a hostile environment. But besides Burries (25 points) and Motiejus Krivas (14 points, 15 rebounds, six blocks), the Cats seemed relatively shook by the setting.

“Kansas has a lot of good players,” coach Tommy Lloyd said. “We knew it was going to be a dogfight no matter who's wearing the Jayhawk jersey."

Those players stayed afterward to celebrate with the crowd, while coach Bill Self was in such a good mood, he was giving out hugs. Not quite as rare as an opponent winning in Lawrence on Big Monday, but rare enough that Bidunga can joke about it.

“He’s giving out hugs now? Yeah, we got to cut him off.”

2. Mikel Brown Jr. scorches NC State for 45

Louisville was 4-4 when Mikel Brown Jr. missed time earlier this season with a back injury. On Monday night, the Cardinals got peak Brown.

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